1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a wrist-carried camera and watch-type information equipment, and more particularly to a camera shaped to be worn about the wrist of an operator like a wristwatch, a portable information terminal and other portable small information equipment.
2. Description of Related Art
In the field of electronic cameras such as a digital camera, a great deal of effort was put into the miniaturization of the cameras. Japanese Patent Provisional Publication Nos. 5-209973, 8-278382, 10-108152, etc. disclose a variety of wrist-carried cameras. In the conventional wrist-carried camera, however, the position of the taking lens and the direction of an optical axis of the taking lens are fixed. Accordingly, the operator has to put the wrist with the worn wristwatch-type camera in front of the body to use the functions of the camera, and the operator has to move the body or the wrist to turn the taking lens toward the object. In this case, the operator has to move the wrist in an unnatural way sometimes in order to adjust the angle of view desirably.
Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 10-90442 discloses the combination of a wristwatch and a radiotelephone. It proposed to use hands of an analog watch as indicators, which do not only represent time but also indicate which button has been pressed among control buttons arranged at the circumference of the watch. It is, however, impossible to determine at first sight whether the hands of the watch represent the time or indicate the control button.
In view of the foregoing, the first object of the present invention is to provide a wrist-carried camera that makes it easier to adjust the angle of view and never imposes a burden on an operator. The second object of the present invention is to provide portable watch-type information equipment that makes it possible to identify a subject of display on a display part.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention is directed to a wrist-carried camera, comprising: a camera part including a taking lens and an imaging device capable of converting an image of an object formed through the taking lens into an electronic image signal; a band part capable of being worn about a wrist of an operator; and a connection mechanism connecting the camera part and the band part, the connection mechanism being attached on a portion of the band part and rotatably supporting the camera part.
The operator can wear the wrist-carried camera of the present invention around the wrist like a wristwatch. The camera part is capable of rotating with respect to the band part due to the rotation mechanism, so that the taking lens can be turned to a desired direction according to the object. Therefore, the angle of view can easily be adjusted at hand, and the operator does not have to take up an unnatural stance in order to take a picture.
Preferably, an image-storing start switch is provided at a part that is never rotated by the rotation mechanism, and hence, the image-storing start switch will never be moved by the rotation of the camera part. It is therefore easy to operate the wrist-carried camera.
The present invention is also directed to a watch-type camera comprising: a timepiece; a display part capable of, in a first mode, representing time by means of an hour hand, a minute hand and a second hand according to the timepiece; a camera part including a taking lens and an imaging device capable of, in a second mode, converting an image of an object formed through the taking lens into an electronic image signal; a mode switching device capable of switching the first and second modes; and a controller which turns at least one of the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand to a direction of an optical axis of the taking lens when the second mode is set. The hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand may be existing members; and the display part may comprise a mechanism driving the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand. Alternatively, the display part may comprise an electronic display which displays images of the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand.
The present invention is also directed to watch-type information equipment, comprising: a timepiece; a display part which represents time by means of an hour hand, a minute hand and a second hand according to the timepiece in a first mode, and which represents information other than the time in a second mode; and a controller which changes actions of the second hand in accordance with switching between the first and second modes.
To change the actions of the second hand, the second hand is stopped or the display of the second hand is erased. The actions of the second hand are changed in the second mode for displaying information other than the time in the information equipment, which has a watch function for analog-displaying the time, and other functions other than the watch. Thus, the operator can easily identify the present mode of the information equipment.
The present invention is also directed to the watch type information equipment, further comprising: a camera part including a taking lens and an imaging device capable of, in the second mode, converting an image of an object formed through the taking lens into an electronic image signal.
The present invention is also directed to watch type information equipment comprising: a timepiece; a display part which represents time by means of an hour hand, a minute hand and a second hand according to the timepiece in a first mode, and which represents information other than the time in a second mode; a mode display member rotatably surrounding the display part, the mode display member being provided with a plurality of marks representing modes in the second mode; and a controller which stops, in the second mode, at least one of the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand to utilize the at least one of the hour hand, the minute hand and the second hand as an indicator indicating one of the marks of the mode display member.
According to the present invention, the mode of the equipment is displayed on the rotatable mode display member, and the hand of the watch is also used as an indicator. This eliminates the necessity for a special indication means and makes it easier to display the mode.